Myths
by FourthWallBreaker
Summary: A hero's work never ends, does it? Called out of Kanto by an old friend, Crystal finds herself dragged into a new region with all new Pokemon - and all new problems involving sinister plots... Sequel to Legends.
1. Prologue

**Okay, guys - this little story is something that popped into my head not too long after I managed to start ****_Legends, _****one of my Pokemon FFs. I decided to put off starting it for as long as I could - at least, until I had managed to come up with a basic plot and an idea as to who the characters involved are supposed to be. Some of you have probably already figured out who might already be involved - if you noticed what I stuck at the end of the epilogue of ****_Legends_****.**

**Just an added note: I used to attempt to put Pokemon speech in an underlined format, but FanFiction doesn't seem to like that for some reason. So I'm putting their speech as normal, but only certain people (I.e., Trainers, Pokemon Profs, etc) will be able to understand them, as is to be expected in stories like this.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon, and if I did, Ash would have celebrated a few more birthdays after the fiasco in Pallet before the Orange Islands when he turned eleven.**

**Well, I'm not going to keep you guys from reading this for much longer - Scribe has got quite a few things that she wants me to look into, and it all involves minor alternate realities that ****_aren't_**** affected by certain world-jumping teenagers...**

**Myths - sequel to Legends**

**Prologue**

The figure let out an "oomph!" as he tripped over an object and fell to the ground, with a resounding thud that jarred his form. However, it wasn't enough to keep him on the ground for long - the figure managed to get back up just as quickly.

"Come on, Gold, we gotta move!" a creature called out. It waved for the figure to follow him deeper into the trees. "Those thugs'll probably be on us any minute, now!"

"I know, Ethan!" Gold shouted back. "It's kind of hard running in the dark in the middle of the woods, you know!" He ran for the creature, who promptly led him between a tight spot between two trees. "Besides, you're a lot more agile than I am, since you're a Pikachu."

"No excuses!" Ethan snapped back. "That escape plan didn't work out as expected, and we'll pay the price if we don't hoof it!"

"I know! I know!" Gold's golden eyes flashed with annoyance. "Don't you think I'd considered that?"

"Not when the alarms were set off, I didn't." Ethan came to a stop as they broke out of the trees and entered a clearing, his black-tipped ears going upright. "Uh oh."

Gold stumbled through the trees after the Pokemon. "What?" He looked up at the clearing in front of them, and his eyes widened. "Not good."

Four figures emerged from the shadows, each giving Gold and Ethan cold glares.

Gold's fists clenched, and he brought them up defensively. "Ethan, get behind me."

The Pikachu glanced back at the boy, eyes widening. Without a word, he dashed around to a spot behind his Trainer, then jumped onto the back of his sweatshirt and dug his claws in, shutting his eyes tightly. "I'm ready!"

Gold nodded, a smirk appearing on his features. "Okay!" He crossed his arms over his chest as electricity started to crisscross over his form. The yellow sparks disappeared into the boy's form after a moment, only to be released almost instantly as a blast of bright light.

The four figures who had them surrounded let out various cries of surprise as they covered their eyes from the blast.

"Now!" Gold called as the light started to fade. "And hurry!"

Ethan let out a grunt in response, then let out a primeval cry as electricity sprouted from his back in the form of a pair of large, sparking wings, which Gold instantly used by taking off into the starry sky above, leaving the figures to groan and complain about the sudden Flash attack.

"So...where to?" the Pikachu asked, watching the horizon ahead while Gold stretched his arms out like they themselves were wings. "You know I won't be able to run on our power supplies for long."

"I do. We're going to need to stop on the coast somewhere before we head out for where this whole thing started."

Ethan's ears went straight up. "You can't be serious. They said that event was a myth!"

"Right before we started to plan on leaving, I heard the higher-ups discussing something important, and it involved what they told us when we first got there. It happened, Ethan." Gold moved his arms to put the goggles that were propped on top of his hat over his face. "And we're going to find her."

"But - how do you know she's going to help us? And how are we even going to find her, for Arceus' sake?"

"I've got an idea." Gold stretched his arms out again after adjusting his goggles. "Have I ever told you about the 'Unknown Dungeon'?"

**Spacial Break**

_::Sir, we lost them::_

"How? You said that it would be easy to capture them!"

_::Unfortunately, it seems that they learned much more quickly than what we had originally expected - they're much more synchronized than the others::_

There was a slam as the figure brought his fist down on his desk. "I was told he wasn't at that level of power yet! That boy is a dangerous threat, and he must be found, or your head will be had for this. Do you understand me?!"

_::Understood, Alpha. E-3 will be found::_

Alpha leaned back in his seat ever so slightly. "Good. Track the boy's energy trail and return him here - alive or dead, it does not matter. It is obvious that E-3 has discovered things that he should have not have found." He flicked a switch, halting the connection. Motioning to a figure standing at the door of the dark room, he stated, "Make sure the others know that E-3 has gone and turned traitor on the cause. If he ever returns, he must not be welcomed with open arms."

The figure bowed. "Understood, Alpha." He backed out of the room and disappeared down the hall.

Alpha leaned back completely in his chair, touching his fingertips together as he placed his hands in a relaxed position on his chest. "Fools, all of them. And yet, I cannot live without them. Soon, they will be as useless as the rest..."

**Looks like we've jumped right into something.**

**And, just to let you guys know, in case things got confusing up there, Ethan's a Pikachu, and Gold's a human. As for what they were talking about...you'll probably figure it out pretty quickly.**

**I look forward to hearing from you guys in the reviews!**


	2. Chapter 1

**Hello again! Sorry I haven't posted in a while - I've been a bit busy with other projects and things.**

**By the way, I apologize for the beginning here. There's a ****_lot_**** of italics because there are a couple people speaking in telepathy.**

**Just a warning.**

**wentvoltage123, thanks for the Favorite ****_and_**** the Follow!**

**Chapter 1**

_"...and then the child brings out this little creature that looked like that Pokemon Blue brought here last time, only it had yellow rings instead of the blue ones his has. I blasted it with an Aura Sphere, then teleported the child straight back to the Pokemon Center."_

_"I think that Blue called it an 'Umbreon,' and that his had an unexpected color change as a result of some sort of virus it had come into contact with. He called it...Pokerus, I think."_

Two figures were sitting inside a room that appeared to be a kitchen/dining room at first glance. Upon closer inspection, however, it is revealed that the room is in fact a chamber in a cave that was repurposed as a living space. A pair of mats sat on the floor in one corner of the chamber, while kitchen appliances were lined up with food storage along one side of the chamber, a small table taking up most of the space in the center of the room. A single light fixture was located in the ceiling, and wires could be seen leading out of the chamber and into the main cave to another location - most likely to a generator of some sort, which kept the appliances and light fixture running.

_"I've heard one or two Pokemon in the area talking about such a virus," _one figure finally stated.

This one was himself a Pokemon, colored in different shades of purple - including his irises, which were a more vibrant purple than the color that made up his tail. The creature was sitting in a chair that had been made specifically for him, so that the Pokemon could sit there comfortably. If he had been standing, the Pokemon would have been over six feet in height.

_"Who?" _asked the other figure.

This one was, for the most part, a human girl, who appeared to be about sixteen. She wore a pair of jeans, white shoes with pink stripes, and a white shirt underneath a pink jacket. It is not her outfit, however, that would gain an onlooker's attention, but her physical characteristics: blond hair, blue eyes...and a pair of pink, cat-like ears and a long, thin pink tail that twitched about as though it had a mind of its own.

_"What do the Pokemon here know about it, Mythos?" _the girl asked.

_"They talk about it like it's an honor to come into contact with it," _Mythos responded with a slight shrug._ "They don't know how anyone can come into contact with it, however - they've just said that coming into contact with it can make you stronger...with added side effects that mark you as one of the affected. Color changes are the most common, but I have heard rumor that some Pokemon can have their brains rewired so they can speak the human language - like Riley."_

The girl looked a little surprised upon hearing this, but then frowned slightly, thinking it over. After a moment, she nodded. _"I can see how it might have affected him - even though he started sparking English right after he had hatched, according to Red. The Pokerus virus must have hit his mother while she was laying his egg..."_ The girl let out a groan and shook her head. _"Professor Oak should really be the one to look into that, not me. I'm not the type to think so much about that kind of stuff."_

_"You can tell him when you visit Pallet Town next. I believe that was where you were planning on going, right?"_

The girl nodded._ "Yeah. It's been a while since I was in Kanto, and I was planning on stopping by Pallet Town for a few days before heading back out again. I was on my way down when Blue found me in Viridian and told me you were up here near Cerulean."_

Mythos chuckled. _"Catzin kindly showed me a corner of the Unknown Dungeon that I could have for my own use. I have seen him a few times since, but he prefers to stay out of sight, as the caves are now crawling with Trainers who are hoping to defeat me."_

The girl's eyes widened slightly. _"It's official? You're a challenge for any possible Champions?"_

_"Indeed. Blaine, Blue, and Professor Oak managed to convince Lance of it. However, as I am near unbeatable by most of the hastily-trained Pokemon teams, I am nothing more than a side quest for those who wish to become stronger." _Mythos gained a sad smile. "There have only been two Trainers who have managed to defeat me, but none have attempted to capture me, which is good."

_"They probably made a public announcement to make sure that you wouldn't be caught," _the girl responded. She was about to say something else when a bell suddenly rang from somewhere outside of the chamber, causing the two to look over at the archway that let out into the Unknown Dungeon.

_"A challenger?"_ the girl asked, frowning as he ears and tail seemed to disappear.

_"It appears so."_ Mythos got off his chair and proceeded to walk out of the living space. "_Crystal, you may watch if you wish, but stay out of the line of battle. I do not want to see you injured."_

_"I will be fine, brother. I have a team of my own with me, and I also happen to have my own list of techniques. If anything comes near me, a Barrier will keep it away."_

Crystal, the famous girl referred to among the Pokemon Professor community as "Mewthree," followed her brother, the Pokemon referred to as "Mewtwo," out into the section of the Unknown Dungeon that Mythos had claimed as his own. It was the place where he accepted challengers, and the ground had since become leveled from the amount of times it had been used; not a spike of rock remained upright or even completely whole.

However, it is not the battlefield that had either of the clones' attention; it was the collapsed figure near a large bell at the edge of it that did.

"Hey! I need some help!" called a yellow rodent who was waving his arms around. He was standing next to the collapsed figure - a teenage boy, from the looks of it, and definitely a Trainer, if the PokeBalls on his belt meant anything.

Mythos and Crystal looked at each other, gauging their expressions. After a moment, Crystal nodded, then turned and dashed over towards the Pikachu and the boy. Mythos followed close behind, a concerned look on his face.

"What happened?" Crystal asked verbally as soon as she reached the Pikachu and his Trainer.

"He over-exerted himself, that's what!" The Pikachu looked over at the boy with concern. "We just got here, and I told him that he needed to rest before he came here to ask you for help."

_"What do you mean?" _Mythos inquired, bending forward slightly in order to get a better look at the Electric-Type._ "What is it that you need us for?"_

The Pikachu shook his head. "Gold said he wanted to explain it himself."

"Gold?" Crystal blinked in surprise. "Now that you mention it..."

The Pikachu's ears went straight up, and he looked at Crystal in surprise. "You know about my Trainer?"

"Yeah. He helped me take out Team Rocket when they tried to resurface without Giovanni almost two years ago."

Mythos stiffened, his eyes hardening in a dangerous look. _"Crystal..."_

"Mythos, I was fine." Crystal turned to look back at the Pokemon directly. "Ven and Kaz were with me the entire time. And besides, for staying underground for about seven or eight years, they weren't really organized."

_"Still, I do not want to see you getting into that level of danger."_

"I have seen the world for much longer than you have, brother. I doubt that I would ever be in any sort of danger."

The Pikachu looked between the two, his eyes widening to the point that they looked like they were going to pop out of his sockets. "So the rumors _are_ true. You're Mewthree, aren't you?"

Crystal flinched. "I would prefer it if you called me by my given name, Pikachu. I am Crystal."

"And I'd prefer it if you called me by mine! The name's Ethan!" The Pikachu pounded his chest in a proud manner. "Now, are you going to help my Trainer out or not?"

"I'm not the one to turn down giving help," Crystal responded. Her eyes started to glow slightly as her ears and tail reappeared. "I'm Teleporting you to the nearest Pokemon Center."

"No! Don't!" Ethan waved his arms frantically, causing Crystal's eyes to lose their glow. "That's probably the first place they'll look for us!"

_"Who will?"_ Mythos prompted, looking more and more suspiciously at the Electric-Type by the second.

"This group out in Hoenn - nasty humans. They did something to a bunch of kids that..." Ethan shook his head. "You know, Gold would probably be better at telling you guys what's going on. He's one of the kids, anyway."

Crystal frowned in confusion. "This is getting stranger by the second, Ethan. Who are you hiding from? And what did that do to Gold?"

"Gold can explain it better than I can - he's the one it was done to." Ethan looked over at his Trainer, then back up at Crystal. "Could you give him some sort of recharge or something? Please?"

Crystal gained a concerned look and gave a helpless shrug. "I'm afraid not."

_"Wait."_ Mythos stepped forward, his three-fingered hands moving together in front of him, looking almost like he was holding something. _"This might help." _

Electricity started to spark from his fingers, and a bright yellow ball suddenly materialized there. A moment later, the sphere was blasted at Gold.

Neither of the Mew clones expected what occurred next.

The Electro Ball hit Gold dead-on, but instead of sending him flying, Gold's body _absorbed_ the attack. Almost a second later, when the electricity was still sparking off his form, the Jhoto Trainer sat upright, gasping as though from a sudden adrenaline rush. The boy looked around quickly, taking in his surroundings, then froze when he saw who was crouching nearby.

"No way..." Gold stared with wide eyes at the girl in front of him. "Crystal?"

"Hi, Gold," Crystal replied. "It's been a while."

"No kidding." Gold looked around again. "What are we doing in the Unknown Dungeon?"

"I had to drag you in here after you decided to konk out at the entrance!" Ethan barked in reply. "Do you have any idea how heavy you are?"

"Ethan." Gold glared at the Pokemon with an annoyed expression, but then his gaze moved to the Pokemon that was behind Crystal. He instantly started to scramble back. "Crystal! Behind you! That's -"

"I know," Crystal replied. "Gold, meet Mythos. He's a good friend of mine."

_"I am your brother,_" Mythos corrected. His eyes narrowed. _"State your business here, Gold of Jhoto. Ethan refused to tell us before you woke."_

Gold looked over at the Pikachu, who shrugged with a sheepish expression on his face. Looking back at Crystal, he stated, "I need your help." His bright yellow eyes were filled with worry.

"_My_ help?" Crystal repeated, frowning. "Why? What's happened?"

"There's another group getting together. In Hoenn." Gold shifted his sitting position and started to get to his feet.

Crystal rose to her own feet, as well. "Hoenn? You mean one of the regions to the south of us?" A concerned look appeared on her own face. "What would people want with them?"

"It's not so much them as with groups of kids." Gold held up a hand; electricity sparked off his fingers, causing Crystal's eyes to widen. "Kids like me."

_"Impossible,"_ Mythos declared. _"No human should be capable of controlling electricity."_

"No 'normal' human," Gold replied. "And I'm not normal." A shaken expression came over his face. "Not like I once thought."

"What do you mean?" Crystal asked.

Gold let out a sigh and looked down at Ethan, who was sitting at his feet. "Almost seven years ago, someone broke into the Silph Co. building in Saffron. They didn't get away with any of the company's secrets, but there was proof that someone had downloaded information from equipment that was going to be demolished." He crossed his arms over his chest. "The data was taken by a couple renegades who started to make their own experiments."

_"This does not sound good,_" Mythos growled, his eyes narrowing.  
Crystal shook her head slowly. "No..." Her eyes were wide in fear. "Did they create more Mew clones?"

Gold shook his head. "No, they didn't." He gave a grim half-smile. "They made kids like me."

Mythos and Crystal exchanged looks of surprise, Crystal's Mew ears becoming as tall as they could.

"How is that even possible?" Crystal asked, looking at Gold. "You're -" She quickly corrected herself. "You've always been a normal human, as far as I can tell."

"That's what I thought. Then they hunted me down weeks after we took care of those Neo Rockets and got me mad enough to zap the whole scout party. Ethan seemed to find it terribly amusing."

"Course I did!" Ethan replied. "I mean, you like us Electric-Types a lot. Made sense that you were one!"

"But...how?" Crystal repeated.

_"And please, do not 'beat around the bush,' as you humans say,"_ Mythos added.

Gold blinked, then sighed and gave a nod. "All right, fine. Basically, they took human DNA and bonded it with Pokemon DNA of different Types, then grew them to about the size of seven-year olds and scattered them under the guise of an adaption agency taking care of amnesiacs." The Jhoto Trainer's voice had taken a more bitter tone.

"Half the kids died from something that looked like cancer," Ethan added. "The other half got rounded up and taught how to work with their Pokemon abilities." His face scrunched up in a look of disgust. "When I heard they were up to no good, I told Gold and made sure that we managed to high-tail it out of there."

"I figured that the rumored Pokemon Monster in the Unknown Dungeon and its ally would be able to help," Gold finished. "We've been out here for two days looking for this area."

Mythos' tail twitched behind him, and he looked down at Crystal. The Mew-human clone looked back up at her brother with a pleading expression.

The Mewtwo sighed irritably, then looked back at Gold. _"I cannot leave my home with Trainers coming in to challenge me at random hours of the day. It might raise an alarm and gain you attention."_

Gold's bright eyes darkened as he frowned.

"But I _can_ help." Crystal looked over at Gold with a determined expression while the Jhoto Trainer's eyes widened. "People outside of this cave don't know that I am what I am. These Trainers who have been affected are like me, as well."

_"They are not related to us,"_ Mythos warned.

"I know that, brother," Crystal replied, looking up. "But that doesn't mean I don't feel responsible for them. They were made from our data!"

The Pokemon let out a hiss. _"Do not bring that up to me. There are things that I would wish to forget, but cannot. I do not want you to bring them up."_ He looked over at Gold, who looked terrified at Mythos' anger.

Mythos forced himself to relax, gaining a calm expression. _"However, you are right. These people are in a situation that was identical to ours. If these people who created them are planning on using them for their own sinister purpose, then they must be stopped."_

"Then will you -"

_"No, I will not come with you, Gold of Jhoto,"_ Mythos replied. _"However, you have need of my help, simply call, and I will come."_

"Thanks, brother," Crystal stated, smiling up at the Pokemon. She looked over at Gold. "My Pokemon team has been staying with Professor Oak for the last few days. We're going to have to go to Pallet Town before I go with you to Hoenn."

"Professor Oak?" Ethan piped up. "You mean the old coot who jump started the national PokeDex race?"

"Be nice!" Gold hissed. "If it wasn't for him, I probably wouldn't have met you!" He looked over at Crystal. "If I set even one foot out of here, I'm going to get to a lot of attention."

"Then I'll provide a shortcut." Crystal grabbed Gold's shoulder and grinned as her eyes started to glow brightly with psychic power.

"Oh, boy," Ethan muttered. He grabbed hold of Gold's leg.

"Here we go!"

There was a bright flash, and Crystal, Ethan, and Gold were gone, leaving Mythos alone in his cave.

**There! We get yanked into an entirely new situation - with time going much differently than it did in the game sections, in my opinion.**

**What do you think of what I did to Gold? And who do you guys think are the other Trainers who became affected - and their related Types? **

**Review or PM - doesn't matter to me!**


	3. Chapter 2

**OK, I've been busy. Like, 'rewriting one story and trying to actually get to the other school-stuff I need to do' busy. Plus, this guy just doesn't want to get written out.**

**So, sorry for keeping you guys waiting for so long.**

**(Thanks for Favoriting, shin obis!)**

**Chapter 2**

Gold looked around in surprise at the hilly, plain-like area he was now standing in. "Where are we?"

"Professor Oak's," Crystal replied calmly. Her ears and tail had disappeared while the Jhoto Trainer had been looking around. "As close as I can get without suspiciously appearing in front of anybody, at any rate. Come on - his home is this way." She turned and started down a hill in the direction of what looked like a collection of houses. Cautiously, Gold followed after her.

"Does the Prof know who she is, do you think?" Ethan asked, looking up at the Jhoto Trainer.

"If she trusts him..." Gold shook his head. "I don't know. Back in the cave, she felt more like a Pokemon, but now...it's like I'm a beginning in New Bark again."

The Pikachu gave Gold a curious look. "Uh huh. Kind of like you."

Gold rolled his eyes at the Pokemon's statement. "No, she's not like me."

"Could've fooled me."

The pair arrived at the back door of a barn-like building with a large windmill at the front; Crystal was already standing at the door with one hand on the doorknob.

She smiled at the pair, then opened the door and slipped inside, calling, "Professor! I'm back! And I've brought a couple friends!"

Gold stepped into the building, looking around with increasing caution when he saw all the mechanical equipment scattered around the area. However, he relaxed when he caught sight of the shock of silver hair and bright, friendly eyes looking in the direction of Gold, Crystal, and Ethan from across the room.

"Crystal!" the old man exclaimed, delighted. He started to make his way around the piles of machinery in an oil-stained lab coat, continuing, "I wasn't expecting you to show up here!"

"I thought it might be a good idea to pop by and see how you were doing," Crystal replied. She looked over at Gold as Ethan climbed up his Trainer's clothes before settling himself on Gold's shoulder. "Professor, these are Ethan and his Trainer, Gold. They're friends of mine from Jhoto."

Professor Oak's eyes brightened again in recognition. "Ah, I've heard about you! You're the boy who helped Crystal take down Neo Rocket, aren't you?"

"Yeah, I'm -"

Gold was cut off short by Oak grabbing one of his hands at the wrist and shaking it furiously.

"I've been waiting to meet you ever since I heard about it on the news! Come on, there's something I want you to see." Oak released Gold's arm and started back the way he had come for a metal table that looked like it was covered in wiring.

Crystal sighed and shook her head before waving a hand. There was the sudden sound of shifting metal, and the piles of machinery were pushed to either end of the room, giving herself and Gold a clear path. "I just hope the Professor hasn't run himself ragged."

"He does that?" Gold started forward, looking around at the lab. Certainly looked like a Professor's lab - even had stairs that led up to the second floor. Maybe the living quarters?

"As far back as I can remember."

The pair soon reached Oak's workstation. The professor looked up as they came to a stop next to him, and he motioned to the pile of red and black machinery on his desk.

"I've been trying to find a way to give a PokeDex more data space," he explained. He picked up a red and black shell that looked like the device two particularly famous Kanto Trainers owned. "I've been working with Professor Birch on creating a internationally-friendly program for data storage on entires, but it's been difficult. I'm planning on holding a conference with the other regional Professors so that -"

"How long has it been since you last rested?" Crystal asked, frowning as she looked down at the pile of machinery.

Oak looked over at Crystal in surprise, then back down at his project. He let out a chuckle and shook his head. "I can't remember when I last relaxed, but I can say that Daisy asked me the same thing earlier this morning."

"Then I suggest you do so," Crystal stated meaningly. "This little project had wait for a few hours while you get some actual sleep."

Oak nodded and started for the stairs, then paused and turned around. "Before I do, though, I have to ask - why is it that you came here with Gold? I haven't seen you do that before. With anyone."

"This is a bit of a special case."

Gold watched as Crystal's ears and tail reappeared. Oak's gave moved from the girl to him in order to gauge his reaction.

"I'm not exactly normal, either," Gold stated. He held up a hand and released a few sparks, causing Oak's eyes to widen.

"Raikou and Zapdos," Oak murmured. "This is impossible."

"That's what I was thinking about half a year ago," Gold replied. "I came to ask for help against the group that did this."

Oak frowned. "And they call themselves..."

"Team Magnus," Gold replied. **[a/n: for all you Latin scholars out there, the n's pronounced before the g. Manngus. If you want to pronounce it the way it's spelled, that's fine, too.]**

Oak rubbed his chin thoughtfully has his frown deepened. "I see. Then the break-in at the Silph building -"

"Yeah." Gold started to sound bitter. "Now you see why I need help from someone who knows something about this." He looked over at Crystal, who glanced back at him before returning her attention to Oak.

"I'm going to need my team," Crystal added. "And transportation."

"To which region?" Oak responded. He turned and started for the stairs again and stood on the lowest step, then called, "Kaz! Esmeralda! Your Trainer's here!" He looked back over at Crystal and Gold, waiting for an answer.

"Hoenn," Gold stated.

Oak's eyebrows shot up in surprise. "Hoenn? Truly?"

"That's what he said, isn't it?" Ethan asked snarkily.

Before anyone else could say anything further, there was a Pokemon's cry from somewhere upstairs. A moment later, a pink blur dashed down the stairs and tackled Crystal, who burst out laughing.

"Hey, Esmeralda!" Crystal exclaimed as she stumbled back a step. She looked down, grinning at the pink, cat-like creature that was smiling up at her with its front paws on Crystal's chest. "You look great!"

"It's good to see you, too," the Espeon purred. Her forked tail waved as she got back on all fours. "I sensed a change in the winds. Are we going somewhere?"

_"If Gold of Jhoto is here, I believe we are," _came a telepathic voice. Heads turned, catching sight of a humanoid, Pokemon figure that had a long mustache and a pair of spoons in its three-fingered hands standing at the base of the stairs.

"Hey, Kaz," Crystal greeted. "Is Ven out at her usual spot?"

_"Indeed. I informed him that you are here, however. He will meet you at the back door shortly."_

Crystal gave the Alakazam a nod. "Thanks." She looked over at Oak. "So, do you think you could get us a boat ride from Vermillion? Or are we going to have to ask a Flying-Type big enough for the both of us?"

Oak looked over at Kaz as the Pokemon finished coming down the stairs and stood at the base of them with his arms crossed over his chest. After a moment, a thoughtful frown came over the Professor's face.

"You know, I think Blue was planning on taking a leave of absence to do some traveling of his own for a time," Oak finally remarked. "Perhaps he would be able to give you some help."

"Blue's planning on leaving Viridian?" Crystal frowned. "I didn't know that."

"He only just called me about it about an hour ago. Maybe you can catch him before he leaves."

Crystal smiled and nodded. "I think I will." She turned and moved over to another table and grabbed three PokeBalls off a pile of books. Turning to look at Oak, she added, "And you are going to go take a nap before you get pulled back into your work."

Oak chuckled and shook his head. "Of course, of course." He started for the stairs again, but then paused and looked back at the two Trainers. "When you arrive in Hoenn, go see Professor Birch. He needs to know what it is that is going on, and he may know children that could have disappeared because of this Team Magnus."

Gold nodded. "Right. Where does he live?"

"Littleroot. It's a small town at the southernmost end of the mainland, so the journey from here to Hoenn may be slightly longer than if you wanted to just arrive in Hoenn. Blue knows how to get there."

Crystal gave a nod. "Thanks, Professor." She pointed up the stairs, smirking as Kaz came over to stand next to his Trainer. "Now, bed."

The professor laughed, then turned and started up the stairs and disappeared out of sight to the second floor.

Crystal turned to look at Gold. "Looks like we have to go to Viridian. I can teleport -"

"Not a second time," Gold interrupted, holding up a hand. "I think I can walk along the route without getting too much attention from anyone who might be looking for me."

Ethan let out a groan. "Are you nuts?! They're probably looking for us - I mean, we came here almost as soon as we got out of there. Who knows what sort of spies they've got sneaking around?"

"This area of Kanto has one of the strongest Trainers short of the Champion," Gold replied. "I doubt they'd come by and bother us."

The Pikachu gained a reluctant expression, then slowly nodded. "If you say so."

Crystal motioned for the two to follow her. "Come on. Ven's probably already outside waiting for us." She started for the door, and Gold followed after her. Esmeralda and Kaz followed after him, exchanging a glance.

"Hey, Ven," Crystal greeted as they stepped out the back door. "How have you been doing?"

"Well enough," came a rumbling reply. The giant green dinosaur-like Pokemon nudged the girl with his nose. "Kaz said we were going somewhere."

"We are, but first we need to go talk to Blue about how to get to Hoenn." Crystal patted the Venasaur's head as her ears and tail disappeared again.

"Hoenn?" the Grass/Poison-Type titled his head. "You mean the place where some of those foreign Pokemon are coming from?"

"Seems like. Come on - we're going to be walking there." Crystal started away from Oak's lab and towards a line of trees in the distance.

Ven let out a rumbling noise - Gold wasn't exactly sure if it was supposed to be a purr or not.

"I could use the exercise," the Pokemon stated. He started to turn and follow after his Trainer. Esmeralda and Kaz jumped onto the large Pokemon's back and sat under the flower like it was the most normal thing in the world.

"Well, that's certainly a strange combo," Ethan remarked from Gold's shoulder as the Jhoto started to follow after them.

"What do you mean?" Gold looked over at his Pokemon.

"You wouldn't think a Psychic-Type would have a part Poison on her team, would you?" Ethan glanced at Gold.

"I had a Typhlosion on my team; what difference does it make?" Gold shrugged and started down a gentle slope, speeding up slightly in order to catch up with the others. "I picked up a few Ground-Types, too - remember my Swinub?"

"Well..." Ethan scratched his head. "I guess it really isn't all that strange."

_"Pokemon of all Types used to be friends with each other, no matter the Type difference,"_ Kaz suddenly spoke up. _"Humans have never been aware of what alliances we have made without their presence."_

_"I was trained by a Fighting-Type once."_

Gold stiffened when he heard Crystal's voice echoing in his head. He looked ahead, only to see that Crystal was now walking backwards and was looking at the group.

_"Rukario was a great help to me when I was attempting to get over my own fears."_ With that, Crystal turned around again and kept walking forward.

"I think I'll shut up now," Ethan remarked.

It wasn't long before the group reached a dirt path that was cut off in certain areas by patches of grass and tall ledges.

"This is the only path from Pallet to Viridian," Crystal explained to Gold and Ethan when they had caught up with her. "There are a lot of beginning Trainers in the area, so we may end up running into a challenge or two, depending on the day."

"Depending on the day?" Gold gave Crystal a curious look as they started down the route. "What do you mean?"

"Well, the beginners are Trainers who aren't quite ready to leave home just yet, even if they have older brothers and sisters already out on he road," Crystal explained. "They'll usually come out here every other day or two in order to work with the Pokemon they received from their parents - or from Professor Oak, when they're ten years old. There are some days when they're all out here, and there are some days when there aren't any around at all."

"Sounds like you'd have to be pretty lucky to avoid Trainers here, then," Ethan remarked.

Crystal frowned slightly, looking like she was trying to think of a response to the Pikachu's statement.

"I wouldn't call avoiding them lucky," she finally stated. "Some of them would rather talk than fight, especially if a Pokemon like Ven is hanging around."

The Venasaur snorted. "That's just because none of them have Pokemon strong enough to go after me yet."

"Any Fire-Type of a decent level could give you trouble," Esmeralda remarked. "We just haven't run into any trouble like that since Red asked us for a spar two years ago, though." She looked over at Kaz. "Do you have any idea where he disappeared to?"

The Alakazam shook his head. "My old Trainer has chosen to remain hidden for his own reasons. Where he chooses to be is his own decision."

Gold looked over at the three Pokemon. "I'd heard that someone with a Charizard had gone up to Mt. Silver, and hasn't come back since. That could be Red."

"Mt. Silver?" Crystal cocked her head slightly, frowning. "I'd heard something about that old mountain suddenly gaining a protector of some sort, but I haven't been able to go up there. Guards have been put all around the mountain, saying that only certain licensed Trainers can get through."

"You can't?" Gold was frowning, now.

The Mew-human clone shook her head. "I haven't tried to go through the Gyms in either Kanto or Jhoto. I've talked with the Gym Leaders, sure, but I haven't actually battled anyone."

"Your Pokemon look like they're pretty strong, though," Ethan pointed out.

"I just don't think I'm ready yet."

The Pikachu snorted. "Ready? Come on - that giant green dinosaur of yours could probably take out some pretty powerful Pokemon really easily!"  
Ven made another rumbling noise that made him sound almost pleased.

"Oh, wow! Is that an actual Venasaur?"

Gold blinked, then turned his head before he caught sight of what looked like a straw hat run down the path and over to the Grass/Poison-Type.

"I've heard Trainers talk about their Venasaurs, and I've seen pictures, but I've never seen a live one before," said the figure under the straw hat. There was definitely someone under there - and it sounded like whoever it was might be a girl.

Crystal walked over to the straw hat - which actually came up to her chest - and lifted up the rim so that she could see who it was that was admiring her Pokemon. "I always keep Ven out of his ball," she stated. "He likes it better out here than in there."

The straw hat tilted back, and Gold caught sight of the figure's face: girlish features that looked young for the size of the girl, and bright yellow eyes that were filled with wonder.

"You're the Venasaur's Trainer?" asked the fourteen-year-old girl.

Crystal nodded, and she gave a smile. "My name is Crystal. What's yours?"

The girl suddenly looked surprised upon hearing Crystal's name.

"Yellow," she replied, looking over at Ven. "My name is Yellow."

"Yellow?" Esmeralda moved to stand on Ven's head and looked down at the girl standing in front of the Venasaur. She inclined her head and sniffed the air. "She smells like a Rattata."

Yellow looked up at the Espeon nervously. "Um..."

"She said you smell like a Rattata," Crystal translated quickly. "Do you spend time with a Rattata?"

Yellow's face brightened instantly. "Oh! You mean Ratty? Yeah - ever since the Gym Leader caught him for me. He said I needed someone to help me defend myself."

"Gym Leader?" Gold spoke up. "Do you mean Blue?"

Yellow looked over at him and nodded while her hand moved to two PokeBalks around her waist. "Yeah. Why?"

"We need to talk to him about something," Crystal explained. "Gold asked me to help him with something, and we want to ask Blue for advice."

"Careful, Crystal," Ven rumbled. "I don't think we want to scare her. It sounds like she likes Blue a lot."

"What makes you say that?" Ethan responded.

"Look at how she stands," Kaz murmured. Gold was surprised to hear him not using telepathy. "She's ready to defend herself."

Crystal looked at each of the Pokemon in turn, then looked back at Yellow. Gold also looked back at her, and was surprised to see that Yellow suddenly looked like she was ready for a fight.

She gripped one of the PokeBalls tightly and brought it off her belt in one movement, not causing her skirt to even shift.

"Who are you?" Yellow asked, looking over at Gold.

"I'm Gold," Gold replied. "Y'know, the Jhoto Trainer? The one who took out Neo Team Rocket with Crystal?" He motioned to the girl standing next to him, who nodded in agreement.

"I'm am old friend of Blue's," Crystal added. "I knew him back when he had started his journey."

Yellow blinked, gaining a look of confusion. "But...you look younger than he does. And he was ten when he started."

This was true, Gold realized. Crystal looked like a teenager while the two Trainers who had been involved in the original Team Rocket had grown up to nearly adulthood over the past seven years.

"Um..." Crystal frowned. "Let's just say that the years have been kinder to me than to him. Considering what we both have gone through."

Yellow was starting to look even more confused.

"Crystal?" Gold asked, feeling a little bewildered himself.

"Um..." Yellow frowned. "Are you talking about what Blue said he'd walked in on?"

"Well, it depends on what he told you." Crystal glanced over at Gold, who shrugged helplessly. Ethan looked between the two, trying to gauge the situation.

"Because everyone tells what happened a little differently," Crystal added, looking back at Yellow.

Yellow still looked cautious, but she nodded slightly. "All right. I'll take you to Blue, but you're going to have to tell me your side of the story."

"Crystal, I don't -" Ethan started.

Esmeralda let out a hiss that sounded like "shush!", shutting the Pokemon up.

"I probably won't be able to tell the whole story," Crystal replied, ignoring the Pokemon's antics. "Everyone has their own secrets."

Yellow looked Crystal over with a curious expression, then motioned for the group to follow her as she put the PokeBall back in its place on her belt. She turned and started down the path, the rest of the group following.

"I was in the area when it happened," Crystal started. "I had been hanging out in the outskirts of Celadon when the entire casino was destroyed by Mewtwo when it flew in from Saffron. Before I got into the city though, these three birds showed up out of nowhere - Moltres, Zapdos, and Articuno. I think Red had caught them."

Ethan let out a whistle upon hearing this. "Man. Didn't think he had it in him seven years ago."

"And when I took on Ho-Oh to prove myself?" Gold asked, looking at his Pokemon.

"Eh. You weren't exactly mute from birth."

"Boys, please." Crystal looked back at Gold and the Pikachu.

Ethan let out a sheepish chuckle, but he was ignored.

"Anyway, I ran out there with a couple friends in order to try and help. We ended up getting there when all of Red's Pokemon were trying to take out Mewtwo. And then this large Legendary showed up and knocked out Mewtwo and gave Red his voice." Crystal's eyes narrowed as she clenched a fist. "Giovanni was still around, though, and he tried to catch Mewtwo."

"I know someone stopped him," Yellow spoke up. "Blue wouldn't tell me who, though." She frowned. "I think he said that they liked their privacy."

"I would think that most people who can take on a whole team of Ground-Types without any Pokemon would prefer to be left alone."

Yellow's eyes widened. "They took on Giovanni without any Pokemon? And beat him?"

Crystal frowned. "You said that Blue had told you this story before. Didn't he tell you about what Red saw?"

Yellow suddenly looked embarrassed. "Um...well..."

"Let me guess," Ethan stated sarcastically, "He didn't tell you and you wanted to know what really happened."

Gold frowned at his Pikachu. "Ethan -" He paused and looked around. "Crystal, weren't we supposed to have reached Viridian City by now?" He looked over at Yellow and frowned. "Because it looks like you led us deeper into the forest."

Yellow was definitely looking nervous, now. "Uh..."

Crystal started to look around, as did her Pokemon. The Trainer then turned to face the other girl. "Are you trying to lead us into a trap?"

The question was asked so frankly that Gold looked over at her in surprise.

"No!" Yellow waved her hands in front of her frantically, as though to ward off something. "Not at all! I'm leading you to where Blue is - I really am!"

"Why would he be this far out, then?" Crystal prodded. "He has a Gym to run."

Yellow looked up at Crystal with a concerned frown. "I just want to make sure you are who you say you are, that's all."

Gold frowned. Yellow was starting to get more and more confusing by the minute.

Crystal glanced over at Gold with a frown of her own, then looked back at Yellow. "Would you please explain what you mean?"

Instead of saying anything, Yellow grabbed her hat and screwed it down more tightly to her head. When it had pulled over her eyes, she paused. A moment later, the hat was held up above the girl's head.

Gold's eyes widened as Crystal let out a gasp.  
Yellow flicked the yellow ears a few times, swiveling the triangular shapes on top of her head before settling the straw hat over them. "Blue found me a couple years ago with Ratty and Doddy. He's told me about you and Red a lot, Crystal."

"Then, the whole story thing -" Gold started.

"Was a test," Yellow replied. "Blue heard about other Trainers disappearing and wanted to make sure that I would be able to take care of myself." She turned and started through a collection of bushes that blocked the overgrown path Yellow had been leading them on. "Come on - Blue's this way."

Crystal and Gold glanced at each other.

"Were those...Girafarig ears?" Crystal asked with a slight squeak in her voice.

"Looks like it," Gold replied. "She probably understood our Pokemon the whole time they were talking." He looked back at the bushes. "We should probably follow her."

Crystal glanced over at her Pokemon. "Do you guys think she's all right?"

"She didn't seem to be lying," Kaz remarked. "I doubt you will be in any danger from one so young."

Esmeralda and Ven nodded in agreement, causing Crystal to nod, as well.

"Then let's go." Crystal turned and started into the bushes, Ven lumbering after her. Reluctantly, Gold followed after them.

"What do you think Blue's doing out here?" Gold asked as he followed directly in Ven's path. Occasionally, he had to step around a couple fallen branches and bushes that had popped back up, but otherwise it was easy going.

"Training?" Ethan suggested, shrugging helplessly.

"I haven't heard any Pokemon crying out," Crystal called back at the two of them. "It has to be something else."

"He comes out here to relax," Yellow spoke up from even further up front. Gold could tell that she was speaking loudly so that everyone in the group would be able to hear. "I'm really the only one who knows about it."

"Why would he come out this far?" Crystal asked.

"I smell water," Esmeralda called out.

"And I smell river," Ven rumbled.

"River?" Gold frowned. "How do you know it's a river?"

"Not a river. River."

"Blue's Blastoise?" Crystal turned and looked back at the Venasaur. "Is the rest of his team there?"

"No."

"Why would he only come out with a Water-Type?" Gold frowned. "Wouldn't that leave him in danger of fainting to any powerful Grass-Types?"

"I told them to steer clear of the area," Yellow called back calmly. She stopped in front of another group of bushes and a collection of trees that were grouped close together. "This is Blue's only quiet spot, so you have to promise not to tell anyone that it's here, OK?"

Gold walked up to stand next to Crystal, and the two exchanged glances.

"I won't tell," Crystal promised.

"I won't," Gold stated.

Yellow looked over at the Pokemon and got nods from each of them - even though she had to look at Ethan for a while before he finally nodded.

"OK," the girl stated. "Here goes." She turned around and started through the bushes, calling, "Blue! One of your friends is here!"

As Crystal, Gold, and the Pokemon followed after the girl, they heard a boy's voice call back, "Who did you bring, Yellow?"

"Crystal and a guy named Gold!"

The group broke through the trees and arrived in a large clearing that had a small pond taking up most of the space. On the other side that the group was standing on was a large blue Pokemon with a shell that had two cannons sprouting out of its back. In the pond up to his chest in the water was a seventeen-year-old boy with spiky brown hair and bright blue eyes.

"I didn't expect you to hunt me down here after going to visit Mythos," Blue remarked, looking over at Crystal. "Or that you brought a friend." He moved his gaze to the Jhoto Trainer, and his blue eyes narrowed.

"Professor Oak told us that you were planning on going to Hoenn," Crystal explained. "We need to go there, too."

The Viridian Gym Trainer raised an eyebrow. "Seriously? I'm going there for a vacation, not to be followed around."

"You probably won't get much of a vacation there," Gold replied. "There's a problem that I have to solve, so I'm going there to take care of it." He raised a hand, and electric sparks flew off his fingers. "Besides, I want to get back at the people who've been spiriting away Trainers in the first place."

Blue's eyes widened in surprise, and he reached up and gripped the dirt embankment around the pond. "You have got to be kidding me."

"He isn't," Crystal replied, revealing her ears and tail. She caught sight of Yellow staring at her with wide eyes, but ignored it. "Apparently, some group named Team Magnus decided to take my data from Silph and use it to create others like me. Gold wants to go and shut them down before they can cause too much damage."

Blue appeared shaken. "Do you mean that they made Yellow have Normal-Type DNA in her?" He motioned to the fourteen-year-old, who looked between him, Gold, and Crystal in surprise.

"Yeah." Gold looked over at Yellow. "They didn't have any Normal-Type kids before I escaped, so you're lucky to have found her when you did."

"Like I was going to let someone in a similar situation to me get poked and prodded." Blue shrugged with a half-smile on his face...right before a pair of cannons similar to the ones his Blastoise had suddenly popped up from behind his shoulders.

Crystal let out a gasp. "Blue! Since when did -"

"They started growing in over a year ago," Blue replied. "Guess I can use Pokemon attacks now, too."

"He hasn't been able to control the blasts very well, though," the Blastoise remarked. "Even with me teaching him."

"He'll get it, River," Crystal replied, nodding to the Blastoise. She looked back at Blue. "That's not why I'm here, though. Professor Oak told us you were going to Hoenn. Do you think you could give us a ride?"

Blue eyed the two Trainers in front of him, then gave Crystal a curious look. "You can Teleport, right?"

"Only to places I've been," came the reply. "Hoenn is unexplored territory."

Blue started to open his mouth to add on to his statement, but Crystal held up a finger. "And don't talk to me about flying, either. Pokemon in PokeBalls I can handle, but not a human and his Pikachu - and especially not for that far a distance."

Blue frowned upon hearing this, then let out a sigh. "All right, fine. I'll take you to Hoenn. But you're going to have to keep my presence there secret from whoever-it-is that you're hunting down. I don't want to get into a fight when I'm still trying to learn how to control all this." He motioned to the cannons on his back.

Crystal nodded. "I agree with you there. When were you planning on leaving?"

"As soon as my Pidgeot gets here, which should be soon."

Up above, there came two loud bird cries. The group looked up and watched as two bird Pokemon landed next to Blue's pond, their long streams of colorful feathers almost seeming to shine in the sunlight.

Blue climbed out of the pond as his cannons retracted into a shell-like growth on his back. Walking over to a nearby tree and pulling a pair of jeans on over a pair of blue swim trunks, he stated, "Crimson, Feather-Mane, we're going to be bringing two more people with us." He motioned over to Gold and Crystal. "Crystal and Gold have some business to take care of in Hoenn."

Having finished his statement, Blue grabbed a shortsleeve black shirt off a tree branch and started to pull it over his head.

The two Pidgeot looked at the two almost-humans, cocking their heads as they studied the new passengers.

"We can carry them," one of the Pidgeot stated, looking over at Blue and giving a nod. "But the Pokemon will have to stay in their PokeBalls." She looked back at Crystal with a pointed look.

Crystal gave a nod and showed the three PokeBalls she had brought with her. "You don't need to worry. I came prepared."

The Pidgeots nodded in approval.

"So, you can take us, right, Feather-Mane?" Yellow asked quietly, stepping forward curiously.

The Pidgeot who had spoken nodded. "Yes. And if you wish to reach Hoenn by tomorrow, we must leave now."

"Then let's go," Blue replied, finishing putting on a blue jacket with white faux fur trim in the hood.

He pulled out a PokeBall and recalled River, then clipped it to his belt, where a second PokeBall was already located. He then jumped onto the back of the Pidgeot who hadn't spoken - most likely the one named Crimson. Yellow followed his lead, but had to climb up onto Feather-Mane's back with her help.

"Maybe we should do girls on one Pokemon, boys on the other," Gold suggested.

Crystal nodded in agreement, then quickly recalled her own trio of Pokemon. She walked forward and climbed up onto Feather-Mane behind Yellow, who looked up at her in awe. Gold and Ethan soon followed suit, only they climbed up onto Crimson.

The Pidgeot shuddered slightly. "It feels like I've got a big Electric-Type on my back."

Blue cast Gold a serious glance. "We shouldn't have any trouble from him, Crimson. I wouldn't worry about it."

"By my honor as a Trainer, I won't cause you any trouble," Gold replied calmly as he raised his right hand. Ethan nodded vigorously in agreement.

Blue gave a nod. "Good." He looked down at the bird Pokemon he was sitting on. "Let's get a move on, then."

In response, Crimson let out a loud bird cry as he quickly leapt off the ground and took to the sky. Feather-Mane followed after him with a cry of her own.

When the two bird Pokemon had reached a decent height, they flew off to the south.

None of them looked down to see that another group of figures had suddenly burst through the trees into Blue's clearing, looking ready for a fight before realizing that their prey was gone.

There! Never guessed that Blue would end up having his Pokemon abilities (which were kinda-sorta touched on in the previous story) to actually show up at all, did you?

**Just a warning: it'll be a while before I post again, so keep an eye out!**


End file.
